Taste sensitivity, nutritional status and metabolic syndrome: Implication in weight loss dietary interventions

Table 2 Features of the population according to weight status

	Controls	Overweight	Obese	P
	(n = 56)	(n = 41)	(n = 52)
Sex (M:F)	20:36	7:34	20:32	0.061
Age (yr)	41.6 ± 12.3	46.9 ± 11.5	45.8 ± 11.6	0.060
Range	24-66	20-64	19-64
Current smoking (n)	30 (53.6)	22 (53.7)	33 (63.4)	0.511
Menopause (n)	15 (41.7)	16 (47.0)	15 (46.9)	0.404
BMI (kg/m2)	22.1 ± 1.7	27.9 ± 1.6	34.8 ± 4.6	<0.001
Body fat mass (%)	-	45.6 ± 5.2	47.6 ± 5.1	0.054
Waist (cm)	-	91.5 ± 7.5	106.2 ± 18.2	<0.001
Metabolic syndrome (n)	0 (0)	8 (19.5)	25 (48.1)	0.004
Taste thresholds
Sweet (log g/L)	0.74 ± 0.44	0.78 ± 0.40	0.85 ± 0.48	0.418
Salty (log g/L)	0.23 ± 0.54	0.13 ± 0.48	0.36 ± 0.58	0.099
Sour (log g/L)	-0.21 ± 0.54	-0.34 ± 0.40	-0.05 ± 0.67	0.105
Bitter (log g/L)	-0.34 ± 0.35	-0.21 ± 0.29	-0.24 ± 0.30	0.151
GTAS	8.0 ± 1.9	8.0 ± 1.6	7.3 ± 2.1	0.132

Data are reported as mean ± SD or counts (%). P values according to χ² or parametric tests (ANOVA analysis), where appropriate. GTAS: Global Taste Acuity Score; BMI: Body mass index; M:F: Male:Female.